Blogs from Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 14

Geo: -42.4023, 173.681Left Christchurch after breakfast and drove to Kaikoura. This was our first long drive in NZ. The journey took about 3 hours and the road was single track most of the way. But what they said about NZ roads was true. There was VERY little traffic – if you can see two cars it counts as a traffic jam. We drove through rich farm land and then some dramatic scenery up and down hills and mountains. As we got near to Kaikoura, the road dropped down to sea level and followed the coastline. The view was amazing.Our motel had a view out over Kaikoura Bay – deep blue sea with mountains beyond. Lunch was at a local hotel and I (Alan) had the famous Marlborough Green Lipped Mussels. They were delicious. Much bigger than ... read more

Have you ever seen some big fish? Avez vous deja vu des gros poissons?... read more

CHRISTCHURCH JA KAIKOURA 21.-24.4.2010 (Huom! Mustien kuvien ongelma ei ole ratkennut. En tiedä miksi kuvat eivät lataudu vaikka näyttävät koneen ohjelman mukaan latautuvan.) Yksi moite Uudesta Seelannista. Talot ovat kylmiä. Ne on rakennettu ”corrugated ironista” ilman lämpöeristystä ja keskuslämmitystä. Pelti oikein hohkaa kylmyyttä ja kosteutta pimeään yöhön. Ikkunoista vetää. Hiustenkuivaajankokoiset lämmittimet (käytän niitä siihen tarkoitukseen) lämmittävät huoneesta vain yhden kohdan tulikuumaksi. Koko huone ei lämpiä koskaan, koska eristystä ei ole. Olin järkyttynyt nähdessäni TV:stä tietoiskun, jossa neuvottiin, että kannattaisi käyttää lasivillaa seinissä ja sisäkatossa, jottei olisi niin vilu kaiken aikaa. Lehdessä luki, että miljoona uusiseelantilaista on rokotettu flunssaa vastaan. En yhtään ihmettele. Nyt kiwit ovat huolissaan, ettei rokotetta saada tarpeeksi, kun... read more

Hi everyone just to update we have been in the Marlborough Region we visited Kiakoura where we wanted to do a whale watch but the weather was bad so we had to wait a few days,in the hope it would improve. We have visited the wine regions in Marlborough which is well known for sauvignon blanc a white wine, Juiles favourite wine!!!!!! this area produces very good wine because it has hot days and cold nights we have been quite lucky with the weather in this area.We went wine tasting and had a tour of a vineyard. We have also visited the Marlborough Sounds which is similar to Milford Sounds, Marlborough Sounds are a crazed geographic omellette of inlets, headlands, peaks and beaches, formed from the sea flooding into deep valleys after the last ice age. ... read more

I am becoming so confused as to where we have been and where we were when different things happened. We have been a long time on the road now and my brain is struggling to cope with all of the new places, the old places and the places I am already thinking about for the North Island of New Zealand and for South America. I am starting to realise just how important to us our blogs will be, as there are so many parts of our journey, Asia in particular that are very hazy indeed. The journey from Hanmer Springs to Kaikoura was scenic, lots of mountains, valleys and vegetation. Two weeks ago we would have been stopping every ten minutes to take a pretty picture but today, even though we were on the ‘scenic route’ ... read more